Device for stirring liquids



May 16, 1957 A. MENTNECH 3,319,940

DEVICE FOR STIRRING LIQUIDS Original Filed April 13, 1964 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,319,940 DEVICE FOR STIRRlNG LIQUIDSAdelbert Mentnech, Locust Valley, N.Y., assignor of thirty-three andone-third percent to Albert C. Notte, Jr., New York, N.Y., andthirw-three and one-third percent t Clinton G. Bush, .122, CentreIsland, Oyster Bay, NX. Continuation of application Ser. No. 359,334,Apr. 13, 1964. This application Apr. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 541,394 9 Claims.(Cl. 259-438) This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 359,334,filed Apr. 13, 1964, and now abandoned.

The present invention relates to stirring devices.

More particularly, the present invention relates to devices which areadapted to stir liquids such as paints.

though devices for this purpose are well known, they sulfer, in general,from several drawbacks. Thus, conventional stirring devices of this typecannot avoid undesirable splashing of the liquid which is stirred. Also,the known stirring devices have undesirable impacts with the containerin which the liquid is located, and where this container is a relativelythin metal it sometimes happens that the container becomes undesirablydeformed by the mixing device during rotation thereof.

It is a primary object of the present invention to pro vide a stirringdevice of the above type which will very greatly minimize, and in facteliminate, splashing of the liquid which is stirred.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a stirring devicewhich will not have undesirable impacts with the wall of a container inwhich the liquid is located. For example, known stirring devices ofcranked configuration will strike undesirably against the wall of thecontainer, and in accordance with the objects of the present invention astirring device is provided which will not behave in this manner.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a stirringdevice which will stir the liquid with elements which act in diiferentdirections in the liquid so as to provide a very thorough stirringthereof.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide astirring device which is of a simple construction and relatively lightweight.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide astirring device which can be easily and theroughly cleaned.

According to a primary feature of the present invention the stirringdevice includes a rotary stirring vane which can be substantially flatand which has a pair of opposed side faces and an upper edge, thestirring vane being positioned substantially vertically when it issubmerged in a liquid to stir the same. An upper plate is fixed to theupper edge of the stirring vane and projects laterally beyond theopposed side faces thereof, so that this plate which rotates with thestirring vane will greatly minimize any tendency of the liquid to besplashed during the stirring thereof.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings which form part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates one possible embodiment of a stirring device of theinvention shown in FIG. 1 connected to a drive means for rotating thestirring device;

FIG. 2 fragmentarily illustrates the stirring device submerged in aliquid which .is to be stirred;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the structure of the invention taken alongline 33 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the stirring device shown in differentpositions which it can take within a container for the liquid which isto be stirred.

Referring now to the drawings, the stirring device 10 of the presentinvention (FIG. 1) is adapted to be connected to a driving means 12which, for example, may take the form of an electric motor of the typeused for relatively small drills. The stirring device 10 includes anelongated straight rod 14 of circular cross-section, for example, and,as is illustrated in FIG. 1, the upper end of the rod 14 can be grippedin a well known manner in the chuck 16 of the drive means 12 so thatwhen the latter operates the rod 14 will be rotated about its axis.

The rod 14 has a lower portion which is adapted to be submerged in theliquid which is to be stirred, as indicated in FIG. 2, and in accordancewith the present invention there is located alongside :of the lowerportion of the rod 14, a rotary stirring vane 18 connected to the rod 14for rotation therewith in a manner described below. As may be seen fromFIG. 3, the vane 18 has a pair of opposed side faces 28 and an upperedge 22. As is apparent from FIGS. 1 and 2, the vane 18 is substantiallyflat and is symmetrically arranged with respect to the rod 14 and isfurthermore situated in a plane which is parallel to the axis of the rod14. As is apparent from FIG. 2, the vane 18 tapers slightly towards itsbottom edge 24 which is convexly curved to a slight extent and whichterminates in rounded corners.

An upper plate 26 is fixed to the upper edge 22 of the vane 18 and isflat and located in a plane normal to the plane of the vane 18, and theupper plate 26 is formed with an opening 28 of circular configurationthrough which the rod 14 extends with substantial clearance. As isapparent particularly from FIG. 4, the plate 26 is of circularconfiguration, extends along the entire length of the upper edge 22 ofthe vane 18, and extends laterally beyond the opposed side faces 20thereof.

A rivet 30, in the illustrated example, forms a pivot means whichpivotally connects the vane 18 to the rod 14 for turning movementrelative thereto about axis which is perpendicular to the vane 18 aswell as to the axis of the rod 14, and the pivotal movement provided bythe pivot means 38 (PEG. 3) is limited by the clearance of the rod 14 inthe opening 28. It is to be noted that the vane 18 extends downwardlybeyond the bottom end of the rod 14.

When the above-described stirring device of the invention is placedwithin the container 32 which contains a liquid which is to be stirred,it is to be noted that as the rod 14 rotates and is held in a somewhatinclined attitude, as shown in FIG. 2, the vane 18 will rotate with therod so as to stir the liquid. However, any splashing of the liquid isreliably prevented by the upper plate 25 which by its location over thevane 18 intercepts any currents which might tend to be transmittedthrough the liquid up to the surface thereof so as to cause splashing atthe surface of the liquid. Nevertheless, the rotation of the vane 18will provide a thorough stirring of the liquid. Because of the circularconfiguration of the plate 26, the slightly tapered configuration of thevane 18, and its slightly curved bottom edge 24 is of convexconfiguration, any contact between the edges of the vane 18, or theplate 26 with a wall of the container 32, will provide only a slidingmovement of the rotary vane 18 and plate 26 without any sharp impactwhich might result in undesirable deformation of the container andcertainly cannot result in any piercing of the wall of the container,and when the operator detects rubbing of the vane 18 or plate 26 withthe wall of the container the position of the device can be easilyadjusted to eliminate such rubbing.

Furthermore, in addition to providing stirring of the liquid due to therotation of the vane 18, the limited pivotal movement afforded by thepivot means 30 and opening 28, causes the vane and plate assembly 18, 26to oscillate back and forth, about the axis of the pivot means 30,particularly when the rod 14 is somewhat inclined as shown in FIG. 2, sothat the upper plate 26 has an oscillatory motion in the liquid, tiltingup and down so as to provide stirring of the liquid not only by rotationof the vane 18 with the rod 14 about the axis of the latter but also bythe oscillatory motion of the plate 26.

As may be seen from FIG. 4, it is a simple matter for the operator todisplace the device to the various positions such as the positions A, B,C, D, or to any desired position in the container 32 so as to distributethe stirring action throughout the liquid, and this operation is veryeasy because of the light weight of the stirring device 10. Moreover,this stirring device is of an exceedingly simple construction requiringonly the rod 14 and the unitary assembly 18, 26, this rod and assemblybeing connected to each other by the single rivet 30. These parts 14,18, 26 and 30 can be made of any suitable metal and not only is thestructure of an extremely light weight and quite expensive, but inaddition it is extremely easy to clean.

I claim:

1. A device for stirring liquids such as paints, comprising an elongatedrod adapted to be rotated about its axis and having a lower portionwhich is adapted to be placed within a liquid which is to be stirred, asubstantially flat rotary stirring vane located alongside of said lowerportion of said rod and arranged substantially symmetrically withrespect thereto, said vane being located in a plane substantiallyparallel to the axis of said rod and having a pair of opposed side facesand an upper edge, P1VOL means pivotally connecting said vane to saidrod for pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the axis of saidrod and perpendicular to the plane in which the said vane is located,and an upper plate fixed to said upper edge of said vane and extendinglaterally beyond said opposed side faces thereof, said plate beingformed with an opening through which said rod passes and said opening ofsaid plate being larger than the cross-sectional area of said rod sothat the latter extends with clearance through said opening whereby saidopening of said plate provides a limited free pivotal movement of saidvane and said plate therewith with respect to said rod.

2. A device as recited in claim 1 and wherein said vane has a slightlytapered configuration.

3. A device as recited in claim 2 and wherein said vane has a convexlycurved bottom edge.

4. In a device as recited in claim perpendicular to said vane.

said plate being 5. In a device as recited in claim 4, said plate havinga circular configuration.

6. A device for stirring liquids such as paints, comprising an elongatedstraight rod adapted to be rotated about its axis and having a lowerportion which is adapted to be placed within a liquid which is to bestirred, a fiat rotary stirring vane located alongside of said lowerportion of said rod, arranged substantially symmetrically with respectthereto, extending downwardly beyond said lower portion thereof, andhaving a slightly tapered configuration and slightly rounded bottom edgewhich is convexly curved, said vane having an upper edge and a pair of0pposed side faces, and an upper plate of circular configuration normalto said vane and fixed to and extending along the entire length of saidupper edge thereof, said plate extending laterally beyond said opposedside faces of said vane and having a circular configuration, and saidplate being formed with an opening through which said rod extends withsubstantial clearance, and pivot means pivotally connecting said vane tosaid rod for turning movement relative thereto, within the limitsafforded by said opening of said plate, about an axis normal to saidvane and the axis of said rod.

7. A device for stirring a liquid comprising an elongated rotatabledriving member, a stirring vane, means for pivotally mounting said vaneon said member at the lower end portion of said member for pivotalmovement only in a plane substantially parallel to the longitudinal axisof said member, said vane having opposing substantially fiat faces theside edges of which lie in downwardly sloping rectilinear planes, saidvane having a convexly curved bottom edge extending between the sides ofsaid vane, and a disc surrounding said rod above said vane, theperiphery of said disc being radially spaced from said rod at least asfar as the edges of said vane.

S. A device for stirring liquids such as paint comprising an elongatedrotatable driving rod, a substantially flat stirring vane, means forpivotally connecting said vane to the lower end portion of said rod, acover plate fixed to an upper edge of said vane and extending over thelateral faces of said vane, and means for limiting the pivotal movementof said plate and said vane with respect to said rod including anopening in said plate through which said rod passes with predeterminedclearance therebetween.

9. In a stirring device including an elongated rotatable rod, 21substantially flat stirring vane, means for pivotally mounting said vaneto the lower end of said rod, and a cover plate fixed to the upper edgeof said vane, said plate extending beyond the lateral faces of saidvane, and means for limiting the pivotal movement of said plate and saidvane with respect to said rod including an opening in said plate throughwhich said rod passes with predetermined clearance therebetween.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 114,785 5/1871Finley 259134 1,182,909 5/1916 Holtz 259-107 1,753,121 4/1930 Kerr259108 1,839,082 12/1931 Burgard 259108 2,718,385 9/1955 Greblick et al259-96 X 3,182,970 5/1965 Ivanoff 259 WILLIAM I. PRICE, PrimaryExaminer.

9. IN A STIRRING DEVICE INCLUDING AN ELONGATED ROTATABLE ROD, ASUBSTANTIALLY FLAT STIRRING VANE, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID VANETO THE LOWER END OF SAID ROD, AND A COVER PLATE FIXED TO THE UPPER EDGEOF SAID VANE, SAID PLATE EXTENDING BEYOND THE LATERAL FACES OF SAIDVANE, AND MEANS FOR LIMITING THE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID PLATE AND SAIDVANE WITH RESPECT TO SAID ROD INCLUDING AN OPENING IN SAID PLATE THROUGHWHICH SAID ROD PASSES WITH PREDETERMINED CLEARANCE THEREBETWEEN.